Controlling means for ignition systems.



L. C. WATSON & E. F. BOYER.

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I9. m4.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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L. C. WATSON & E. F. BOYER. CONTROLLING MEANS FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS.APPLICATION FILD AUG. I9. 1914.

L1 5 Patented NOV. 2, 1915.

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as mean LEWIS C. WATSON AND EARL F. BOYER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

masses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed August 19, 1914. Serial No. 857,517.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, LEWIS C. WATSON and EARL F. BOYER, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inControlling Means for Ignition Systems,

- of which the followinggis a specification.

Our invention'i'elates to time controlling means for ignitionsystemsembodying mag netos, and the invention is especially adapted for use inthe ignition systems of motors employed for propelling automobiles,motor boats, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means whereby the timeof firing'o'f explosive charges in the cylinders of a motor may beadvanced or retarded at will without varying thev intensity of theigniting sparks. We attain the foregoing object by having the sparksalways occur at such times when the armature core is at a'predetermineddistancefrom the pole-shoes of the field of the magneto as to producesparks of maximum intensity.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagram ofa motor, its ignition system, and our invention.Flg. 2 is a longitudinal section of the important features of theinvention connected to the spindle of an armature. Fig. 3 is a verticalcross section, enlarged, on line III-III of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the invention mounted upon the spindle of a magneto. Fig. 5is an elevation, partly broken away, of a section of important parts ofthe invention. Fig. 6 is a cross section of a part of the magneto,showing the relative position of its armaturecore to the pole shoes ofthe field at the time the spark occurs. Fig. 7 is a broken elevation ofthe contact breaker of the magneto.

A designates the motor, B the magneto, and C the wiring between saidmagneto, the motor, and the spark plugs C.

D designates the gears whereby the magneto armature E is driven from themotor, F the armature spindle, the contact breaker disk secured to oneend of the spindle F, H a contact screw rotatable. with the disk G, Ianother contact screw normally engaging the screw H, J a bellcrank levercarrying the screw I, K a spring bearing against the lever J to hold thescrew I in engagement with the screw H, and L the fixed segments forrocking the lever J to throw'the screw I out of engagement with thescrew H twice at each revolution of the disk G to short circuit andinterrupt the primary current of the magneto, so that sparks will occurat the spark plug C.

The magneto B is, preferably, of the nonvariable timing type, or'one inwhich the breaker-box M is nonrockable. This insures sparks of maximumintensity, as the screw I lsnot disengaged from the screw H until gapsN, of such length as to insure sparks of maximum intensity, occurbetween the armature E and the pole shoes C, Figs. 6 and 7. Theforegoing magneto is one of ordinary type.

Our invention comprises means whereby the armature E may be retarded oradvanced at will relative to the motor pistons, to obtain any desiredcompression of the charges in the cylinders without varying the lengthof the gaps N at the time of'firing said charges. By thus having-thegaps N of a uniform length best adapted for the production of thehottest possible sparks at the spark plugs C, it is obvious that greaterefliciency is had than where the gaps are frequently so great that the.sparks produced are often too weak to ignite the charges, as is thecase. where magnetos of the ordinary variable timing type are employed,especially when the latter are adjusted to fully retard the time offiring.

In carrying out the invention, we employ a coupling 1 embodying abushing 2 firmly mounted upon the armature spindle F, and a sleeve 3loosely mounted upon said bushing 2. The sleeve 3 is free to rotate uponthe bushing 2, but .is held from longitudinal movement thereon by acollar '4: integral with one end of the bushing, and a nut 5 threadedupon the opposite end of said bushing 2. Collar 4 fits into an annularinternal recess 4 in the adjacent end of the sleeve 3, Figs. 2 and 5.

Bushing 2 has a pair of oppositely-disposed longitudinal grooves 6 inits periphery to receive the inner ends of a pair of lugs 7, extendingthrough oblique slots 8, in the periphery of the sleeve 3. The outerends of the lugs 7 are fixed to a shifting member 9 comprising an innerring 10 loosely embracing the sleeve 3, and an outer slip-ring 11loosely embracing said inner ring 10. Antifriction balls 12 areinterposed between the inner and outer rings, so that the rotation ofthe former within the latter will be attended with but little friction.The'slip-ring 11 is provided with a pair of diametrically-opposedtrunnions 13 fitting into the slotted ends of a yoke 14, mounted upon arock-shaft 15 which may be actuated at a distance, such as theseatopposed grooves 18 to receive corresponding lugs 19 on a member 20,fixed to an intermediate shaft 21 carrying one of the gears D.

In practice, the time of firing the combustible charges in the cylinderscan be varied-with relation to the position of the pistons in saidcylinders by actuating the rod 16 to cause the shifting member 9 to moveeither'to the right or the left, as required. For instance, when thefiring is to be retarded to permit the pistons to reach the ends orother predetermined point, of their compression strokes, the shiftingmember 9 is moved to the right. As the sleeve 3 is held by the member 20from rotating independently of the intermediate'shaft 21 the .lugs 7,moving in the oblique slots 8- and the straight slots 6, turn thebushing 2 backward and thereby retard the armature E, so that it willnot reach the firing posi-. tion (Fig. 6) until the pistons haveadvanced to the predetermined point of their compression strokes. Whenthe firing is to be advanced the member 9 is shifted to the left, sothat the armature E will reach the firing position earlier in thecompression strokesio-f the pistons. In both cases the gaps N will be ofa uniform length to produce the hottest possible sparks at thesparkplugs C, because the position of the segments L is never changed,whereas in magnetos of the variable timing type embody ing rockingsegments, the gaps N vary to such an extent that efficient sparks arepro duced only when advanced as fully as possible.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

In a device of the class described, a shaft, a rotatable bushing havingone end fixed thereto, a collar carried by one end of the bushing, arotatable sleeve encircling the bushing and having one end engaged withsaid collar, a nut engaged with the other end of the bushing and sleeveto hold the,

section, a driving shaft alined with the first named shaft, and meansfor locking the driving shaft to said sleeve.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures, inthe presence of twowitnesses.

LEWIS C; WATSON. EARL F. BOYER.

"Witnesses:

F. G. FISCHER, L. J. FISCHER.

